


New Update Acquired

by the_captains_platonic_masquerade



Series: Subnaughtyca [3]
Category: Subnautica (Video Game), Subnautica: below zero (video game)
Genre: Alien dating, Alien fucker, But I have decided to combine elements from the new one into the story, I'm still more attached to the first story line, Other, Pre-Frostbite Update Storyline (Subnautica), Story line cross over, and, frostbite update, more story based but there will probably be smut eventually, space escape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:40:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24089821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_captains_platonic_masquerade/pseuds/the_captains_platonic_masquerade
Summary: Robin, Al-An and Sam work together to escape both Alterra and the frozen planet they have been stuck on.(Merging of the old story with the new one from the frostbite update)
Relationships: Al-An/Robin Ayou
Series: Subnaughtyca [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645591
Comments: 65
Kudos: 226





	1. Warning hypothermia imminent

**Author's Note:**

> Kinda an introduction to how I am going to combine the two stories. With Al-An and Robin having a cute moment together and an unexpected addition to the troop.

“Are you sure you want to go through the storm? If you crash I can’t help you.”

“I know, but I need cover from that sentinel.”

With her heart in her throat she shot out into space, following the nearest meteor in the hope it would keep her ship from appearing on the radar. It was a high risk plan, and the thing about high risk plans is that you need to deal with the consequences when they go wrong.  
  


————— before —————

  
Talking in code isn't really the hard part, its just the process of starting the code when you are trying to hide the fact you are using code, that is the real issue. It forced Robin to use something she had rather not even think about but it was only way she thought to truely get her sisters attention.   
  
“Do you remember that space camp I went to whenI was… I think I was 15?” Robin spoke casually but she was clutching her communicator tightly in her hands, her stomach in knots, twisting with every word. She hadn’t gone to space camp since she had been 14, an easy mistake to brush off if some one checked her records. But not for some one who knew her, who knew the fact she hadn’t gone back to space camp because their mum had gotten very sick the year she was 15, they had all been scared, they never really spoke about that year. She had stayed home to help in looking after her mother while her sister had to focus on studying and dad had to take on more work. it had soured that holiday for her and she hadn't applied for it again even after. 

“Rob... What?” Sam replied back, confused and hesitant but at least not out right contradicting her.  
  
Robin closed her eyes and spoke with careful enunciation but still doing her best not to break the very casual facade she was putting on. “Yep, I'm sure I was 15 years old, I was excited because we were focusing on Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. I though going to Pluto sounded so far back then.” She hoped her laugh sounded genuine.

  
“…And look at you now, still got to a frozen planet just-“ Sam stumbled in her, obviously getting meaning behind her words now, Robin bit her lip and hoping the pause wouldn’t be anything noticeable as her sister just cleared her throat. “Just much further away and with a lot more water and… yeah." She started and stopped a few times before settling on what was probably her giving up on thinking of the best question to ask. "What would 15 year old you think about where you are now?”

She sounded a little stunted but nothing too out of character, Robin started breathing normally again. “She would be amazed I think, well, I think in that camp I was a little distracted. I can't remember if I told you much about it but... _I had met a boy that year_." she paused, trying to give meaning to the fact that she had met some one "… umm Adrian? Aden?…. ummm I think it was Alan? Yep, thats it, such a normal and boring name but he was cute.” The alien in question looked up from where they had been typing and fiddling with the control module, calibrating something or other. They just cocked their head to the side but they knew better than to interrupt. “Umm, yes I... I remember that he offered to give me a lift back home in his cool, fancy car. I wanted to go with him so bad but I was was still bad at remembering to charge my mobile and i didn't know how to call and tell you- and dad- to tell you _I could go with him._ ”

—————————

They had a few of these short conversations over the next two days, just a little at a time, always going back to Space camp and Alan, How that camp had some issues, how nice Alan was, how he was been so nice to offer but she was been waiting for Sam to pick her up, How she couldn’t tell Sam but she didn’t want to give up that chance to be in that brand new car with the boy she had met. All of this to try and convey, she had met a life form, she was fond of him, they had offered an escape from this planet and Alterra but she wouldn’t do anything if it left her sister alone with them.

Sam was obviously trying to processing all of this, Robin didn't know how much she was actually understanding but she definitely understood that something was wrong. But she wasn't giving any proper answers back, saying that she didn't remember that say and on the third day when when she called her sister, she responded by telling her that she “Got that you are lonely down there but I really have to finish this work so I’ll talk to you again when I can, ok?” And she just left it to sit for a while.

The weather had been turning, the side of the planet she inhabited was now going into a snow storm season so she was having less trips to there surface and more time exploring the deep, finding more precursor bases and exploring in delight as Al-An would bring them back to life just for her to explore. They had a few more dates, she told them about her actual experience at space camp, which led to how schooling worked, pets, about her parents, about human diseases and the occasional pandemic her world faced which paled in comparison to Al-An’s world -to which the alien was very grateful for.

But she was getting more and more distracted, looking at her communicator every other moment, like just checking it would increase the chances her sister will call again. She knew Al-An was watching her in return. They still hadn’t gone back to the topic of what would happen if her sister can’t join them or tells her not to go. No matter how much they enjoy their company and the life they are leading now the deadline for this lifestyle was dangling right over their heads like the snow clouds above. The anxiety was getting to her and maybe she was being a little reckless. Al-An didn’t like her going through the Glacial basin alone but she needed more resources and didn’t want to interrupt them from their own work. She had been able to explore around there before she Al-An even had a body, she could explore their again, ice worms be damned to icy hell.

And well, it looks like she didn’t need to be as concerned with the ice worms as much as she needed to watch out for the changes in temperature. Which is how Al-An had come to find her sitting in a thermal pool and being very much _not_ pouty about it. “Oh...hi, I didn’t expect to see you coming up today. I thought you were cataloging data?” She was rubbing the hot water over her face, washing away the icicles that were slowly melting from the rising steam. She couldn't help but be some what jealous with the way the other never seemed to have trouble adapting to any temperature or pressure themself.

“Indeed I was, but a few files have been corrupted from the damage brought on by time and I will need to wait for both the hardware and soft ware to be fixed.” They walked to the edge of the pool and curiously dipped a foot into the water before their legs folded under them again and they sat by her. “35.667 degrees in your Celsius, I will monitor it so you do not burn.”

Robin rolled her eyes. “Alterra uses fahrenheit and I do have thermometer on me, I am already monitoring it. I’m just… I need a bit if a break from the cold that isn’t miles under the water and full of leviathans trying to eat me.”

“…Yes, you continuation of not being eaten would be preferable.”

She warming herself up by dunking her head under the water a few times but she saw the occasional flash of colours coming off of Al-An which she was sure meant he had many questions but didn’t want to risk asking them. She sighed softly and tried to calm herself down.

“Hey, why don’t you join me?”

“I have, I am here currently.”

“ No I mean, join me… here in the hot spring.”  
  
the alien paused and observed the pool. “I can not see myself getting into the pool with any grace.”

Robin laughed and got her hands on a leg and gave a strong but futile tug on their leg. "Come on, it's warm."

"I do not feel temperature like you do, its more just a higher rate of vibrations-" Robin kept pulling the unmoving alien until there was a very human sounding sigh. "Move back."

And with the awkwardness of a horse made for the water, they inched closer and carefully, one at a time got their front legs slid in before the rest of them followed. Robbin had moved to sit on the edge chuckling at the big, dangerous alien acting so awkward and coltish. Al-An eventually got themselves into the pool and relaxed again. Sitting back down they still being tall enough that the water level was just below their chest. Robin hopped back into the heated water and leaned back against the side, draping her legs over Al-An's body.

"See, now isn't this nice?" She sighed comfortably, relaxing better with Al-An with her.

"...Not really." The alien replied which drew a bark of laugher from her again and a pink flush from the alien. Together they stayed there for a little while, mostly in silence, but an intimate and comfortable one, just being together as the frozen world moved around them. Eventually she received a weather warning about a snow storm and she got out, she was hoping to see Al-An try and get himself out as well and when she met them back in the sea truck accused him of cheating after they had just teleported.

It was starting to get late anyway so she returned with Al-An to their base, just planning on having some dinner while with them before he went to her own base to sleep. It was while she sat cross legged on one of the cube like structures that she she noticed one. of the little crab like robots that was fixing something for Al-An was limping. "Nawww Al, the little guy is hurt." she said, watching as it moved in an awkward scuttle compared to the others.  
  
The Alien didn't even look after from their work before replying. "It does not feel pain. With less demands for repairs now it will not cause a reduction in our productivity if I were to terminate it. I will-"

"No!"

She walked over to it and looked at its damaged leg, some wiring seemed to be missing and the casing for the tip was gone. "Can you fix him?"

There was a flash of colour over Al-An before with a gesture another robot came over and soldered some wires together but there was nothing it could do it could do the the missing foot. She rubbed her hand over the robots main body. The alien tilted their head as green washed over them "Ah, you are doing that form of human behaviour." Al-An said in such a confident way that she was almost afraid to ask.

"What behaviour?" She looked back at them with narrow eyes, trying to communicate that she was very much ready to talk about comparative behaviours right back depending on what they said.

"Pack bonding, you grew attached to me in a short amount of time, as you did to the -as you call them- infant snow stalkers as well as the pengwing and their own offspring. Curious that it crosses over to something non-sentient."

"What, no, it's... Okay, maybe it is like that just... don't destroy it." She gave Al-An her sweetest expression which made them flash pink before they stretched out their arm to the little robot and instead of ignoring her, it faced her and crawled even closer.

"I have transferred task control to you as well as a basic understanding of your language."

"Did you just give me a pet?"

"I gave you a repair and maintenance robot... However. I do recall that you have some memories of the small quadrupedal, mammal you shared you home with and have knowledge of the stories you have shared with me... I did assume you would make some mental comparisons, regardless of its inanimate nature and obvious defects."

Robin stood up and took a few curious steps back, watching in delight as the little robot followed. She spend a moment playing with her new little companion, watching as it hobble after her and even as a robot, seemed eager to complete the small tasks to do, like fetching her the water bottle she just placed down, sitting, spinning, tapping Al-An's leg with its (unpowered) eye-stalk like wielding tool.

"We should name it Crab Cake." Robin decided to which a lot of conflicting colours went through Al-An. Why did no one like how she named pets?

"I know you find it customary to name pets after food but... truely? I would Prefer some thing else."

"It's Crab-cake or Scuttles. And see, aren't you secretly disappointed you didn't let me name you?" Robin could feel the eye-roll in the next colour shift that went through the Alien. But as she laughed and played with Scuttles Crab-Cake, she could see more green and the alien watched her. "Al-An.... Thank you. Not just for a pet but for all the help you have been giving me. Plus for all the times you just went along with my 'human behaviour'."

"While i am learning of my own new acquired emotions I have been improving in identifying yours as well. You have been in distress for the last few days. You helped me during my... adjustment to your inconvenient humans emotions, so It is only right that i do what i can to help you as well. Up to and including enabling you with the personifications of a defective repair and maintenance robot. But I... feel something positive... when I see you smile and laugh, knowing that I have caused you such joy. So there is no need to thank me, I am helping you for purely selfish reasons."

"Oh Al-An... You do make me happy and I love you too." She said back as they glowed pink again. They have never used the words back but she knew when they meant it. She walked over, the little bot still following closely at her heels. She ran her hands over their arms before they leaned down enough that she could go on her toes and press a few quick kisses over their glowing face.

"Since the software is still updating, we have time if you would like to correct your mood through shared stimulus during se-"

Just then her communicator started ringing she had to laugh at the irritated flash of red that went through Al-An. She moved away and the laughing stoped as she sobered up quickly at the sight of her sister caller ID. she quickly backed away, Telling Scuttles Crab-Cake to wait as she answered the call.

"Sam!?"

"Robin, Hi." Her sister answered but her tone was off some how which kept Robin on her guard.

"Yeah, sorry i haven'tbeen able to check back in a while, but you know how it is, meetings after meetings, and so much paper work." It was just that little bit rushed that let Robin know that something was off but her sister was acting calm through it. Sam wasn't much of an actor or had any skill in lying but she was doing well enough that it might still convince what ever stranger was listening. "Oh, I wanted to tell you, I remembered that day, when you came back from space camp. mum... mum and I had a fight, she had taken my phone too and was _checking on me a lot_. You know how she was. Dad was meant to actually pick you up that day." Robin bit her lip and looked down at the small robot that was looking up at her in return. "But you know how I missed you, when you would go away for so long. I took his car and drove to get you."

Robin shared a look with Al-An, both realising the answer they had been given.   
  



	2. Welcome to 4546B

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the plot thickens but starts with something light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'll have you know they are still going at it!
> 
> “Core melt down initiated”
> 
> Al: Ah… maybe we-
> 
> Rob: Shouldn’t have banged on the control panel?
> 
> Al: ...Yes *frantic typing*

Robin chuckled in-between the kisses she pressed over Al-An’s face, she was sat on his control panel while he steadily rocked into her. It was slow and sensual, in a way that had her legs gripping firmly around the bulk of their body. This was the culmination of all the weeks of stress and worry they had been through, now finally, they had an answer. She rested her head against their chest, teasing her fingers over the alien markings as the soft but bright sounds of her delight echoed through the ancient alien base. All the swirling warm colours glowed over her dark skin like her own private light show before they shone a pure yellow. “Is there something amusing? Laughter is a good reaction from you but not the usual one you use amidst sexual activity.” They pulled back and gave a harder thrust making her gasp and dig her nails into the rough leather of their skin. “Yes, that is the more usual response you give to this stimuli.” The alien said with some pride. 

“I’m just..” She stroked her hand over the horns at the side of their face “Happy. Really happy.” For once she was seeing a way out of this mess, it wasn’t a long term plan but soon she will be free with the two beings she loved most in the world. 

Al-An nuzzled into the side of her face and the yellow shine turned a light green. “Do I have anything to do with that happiness?” They asked, it was asked almost analytically but she could see through it.  
  
“Of course. Do I make you happy?” She asked right back, pressing kisses down their neck and across their chest. 

“Yes. But I will be much happier when I have preformed at the level where you will not be speaking as clearly as you are as of now, nor laughing.” The cold metal of Al-An’s robotic hands curled around her ankles and suddenly her legs were pushed forward until she was sprawled over the control panel. It just made her laugh more until it was lost among the moans as Al-An pistons away. she brought one arm between her legs to rub at her clit while the over scrambled to grab onto any hold it could find, the lights around the base all flickered, they were true to their word and now the only thing she could say was their name on repeat. “Yes, now I am very happy.” They said smugly. 

Her back arched and her thighs squeezed around him until she came, probably hitting several buttons on the panel but too lost in pleasure to really care. Al-An didn’t slow down for a second, she reached for any part of them as she shook from over stimulation until they gave a final thrust and again the base and the alien’s markings grew dark before booting back again. “I think…” She mumbled the rest and Al-An had to prompt her again after they had pulled out and give her a few seconds to recover. “I think we needed that huh?” 

“Yes, we were over due for a tune up, in addition, being within a ship escaping this planet, we will need to be more… discrete than we are, having been alone within a whole planet.” And at the reminder Robin was ecstatic all over again and pulled the alien in for a hug, laughing into their shoulder. 

————————

Now they didn’t know how much time they would have until Sam got here, nor how much time it will take for them to act when she was found missing. Al-An said they were working on something to help with that and so it was up to Robin to focus on what she always seems to be doing. Collecting a mass amount of resources. They would need to have enough to build a ship, she had access to the blue prints for Alterra model ships but Al-An’s other job was mixing that blue-print with that of the Architects technology. Their justification was that it would need to be bigger, faster, stronger and more importantly, impossible for Alterra to track when they went back to Al-An's home planet. 

They fell into another routine for a good few days, With all the things she needed to collect Robin had to go much deeper into the dark of the water than expected but she was determined, and no leviathan would stop her now. She had spoken to Sam a few more times, this time strictly for business, sending a bit more data and samples up to keep up appearances.There came a request for a sample of the Kharaa virus found in the frozen specimen. As soon as Al-An heard about it they shut down any thoughts of allowing it to be given to anyone who may misuse it. They had seen too much death and Robin was sure it was now effecting them more with their new emotions. As the request came up again she claimed that the storms had caused some ice to collapse and block the entrance. They were getting impatience with her but Al-An used his beam weapon to actually collapse all the openings that could lead to it.

Knowing all this she was still surprised when she had the call, this time from some one she didn’t know. “Hello, miss Ayou. I thought we should have a little chat. Our scientist have been waiting for the sample of Khaara, you did well for getting us the enzyme, so why don’t you tell us what we can do to help. Once you give us that, you’ll be back on the vesper in no time.” 

——————————

Sam was so happy when she had gotten into Alterra. Back then there were only a few rumours about the shady business that they did far out in space where it had been much easier to hide and get away with. She won’t lie and say that now that she knows that they are doing some underhanded deals and how they treat their away parties that she would have left on her own even without her sister. But she wasn’t sorry to be leaving now that she was. 

She might not have her sister’s wild spirit but she was smart, she was good at planning, she knew what she needed to do. She just needed the right time and for everything to run smoothly. Which she doubted would happen but it was a good feeling to have a plan. She had been scoping out the shuttle bay before coming back to her office when her boss stopped her, pulling her into an empty conference room. He looked very unhappy and she knew it could be only one thing, Maxim had figured out what she was planning. Sam was sweating, she had actually thought she could do this and not get caught, who was she kidding, they found her out, she’s screwed. Even with her stomach in several knots she smiled and was ready to try and lie her arse off. Going through the all the conversations she had shared with Robin in her head to see if she could predict where they had slipped. Her anxiety was wracking through her body so when he started talking she was completely blind sighted at every word. “Ms Ayou… Samantha, because this is you, I wanted to do this personally. It is with a heavy heart that I, Zeta London and Indra Cromar and all responsible for this section of planetary exploration must give you our condolences. Samantha, in the last hour we had been attempting to aid your sister, Ms Robin Ayou in her attempt at clearing an ice blockade that had cut of the route to a valuable asset... regrettably, she, though her own negligence had received injuries that lead to her death.” 

Sam reached for the table, it was like the gravity had been turned up and she could no longer hold herself up. She had only spoken to her sister a few hours ago. This couldn’t be right. There was a force in her throat that was dragged out of her in a sob. Maxim walked over and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I know this is such a ...terrible turn of events, you will receive a weeks paid break and may request another week of unpaid leave if you so request it. You’ve been such a good employee and we here at Alterra see you as family so you do not need to worry about anything. I’ll make sure they will not send you any insurance emails about damages or legal fees... _until you are back on your feet and at your desk again.”_

Sam buried her face in her hands and while she felt numb inside the tears just kept falling, she barely felt the weak pats her boss gave to her shoulder. “No, I have to… I have to check my computer, she might have tried to call me.” She said, rushing up to her feet. It was then that Maxim’s grip on her arm grew firm and he stopped her from leaving the room. She looked at him in shock but he just gave a sad smile. 

“Oh I do not think you are in any state to being working right now, it will all be there for you later. For now, you should return to your room and rest, mourn, call your family, friends and get any affairs in order. Until we have set up a replacement. You don't need to worry about anything.” Sam tried to interject but he just spoke over her. “Amare is already taking over your current work load. Please. I would hate to think some one as head strong as you would be come hysterical on the work floor.”

She counted to ten, taking deep breaths before she nodded. “No you are right, I’m sorry. I should go to my room.” He let go of her arm and she resisted the urge to rub at it. She shuffled back to her room, not noticing anything or anyone around her. It had all been too much and she just collapsed on her bed to sleep for a few hours. 

When she woke her eyes felt heavy and puffy from crying, she was still exhausted and in her work wear but she had to get up. She looked at the pictures of her and Robin she had around her room, picking one up and smiling at it. “That lying pick.” She told the image of her sister. “I’m sorry I believed him for as long as I did. I hope that fucker sits on his alien crystal covered pen.” She was now alone on a space station, probably being watched, and cut off from contact with her sister. Like it just wasn’t hard enough before, apparently. 

Shower, food, sweatpants she was staring out the window to the planet below her. Time to speed up the plan, but she will need some help. 

——————————

“Oh Sam, I’m… surprised to see you up and about. I heard about your sister, I am so sorry.” Malika, stood regal as ever in the doorway of her own room. If Sam had been just a few more rungs up the ladder she would have invited her out to a few night caps and tried to test the waters. This was the one thing she would regret the most after leaving. At least she had all the memories of the way she ripped apart the arrogant bastards who -at their level- still had their maths off. But it also gave her hope that she was one of the good ones. 

“Hi, yes, I am very torn apart about that, do you mind if I come in?” Malika, to her credit looked very much unprepared to receive a co-working in mourning but stepped aside and ushered her in anyway. 

“Sam, if you need anything I will do what I can. I know the sting of loss all too well.” She said and it was very touching but Sam had no time to be delicate.

“I trust you, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t but what I’m about to tell you… its a lot. Even if you can’t help I will need you not to tell anyone at least for a while. If you can not guarantee that please tell me now. I won’t think any less of you but just…. This would be much easier with help.“ it all came in a rushed breath, she hated putting her in this position but she didn’t know who else to turn to. 

Malika narrowed her eyes but then turned in a sweep of her silky night dress and sat on the side of her bed, patting the spot next to her. Sam sat and was finally able talk about this with some one else, she had planned to censor a lot of it but it just all flooded out. Everything with Robin, the company, the shady notice of death and how she was now locked out of the system. Malika just stayed quiet and let her vent but her eyes were calculating. When Sam had finished, Malika stood up, poured a coffee from a little dispenser on the wall and handed it to her. “What do you need me to do?” 

————————————

Sam had already memorised the station’s schedules, traffic and who’s passes and codes she would need. She had to check again and again just incase but she didn't have enough time to check as much as she needed to calm her OCD. She played the part of the grieving sister, looking to a superior for comfort when really she and Malika were quickly and efficiently plotting her escape. It only took a few days but they were some of the most stressful of her life, still scared she would be caught, still angry she couldn’t speak to Robin, to make sure she is alright and tell her she is coming for her. All she had to do now is wait and not succumb to anxiety.

At the first warning of meteorological activity, she sent the message and she and Malkia met up, it was three minutes before the midnight shift, the small team who monitor and maintain the docking station left early to meet their shift change crew while getting coffee. She had twelve minutes and twelve minutes only. Sam would rewired part of the docking door way mechanism while Malika deleted the footage and records of their key cards. It was easy but she was had to account for the fact that she was tapping her nail against the metal, counting all the wires as she did. 

She was still hot-wiring when Malika came in, throwing a bag of supplies into the chosen pod. “Okay I’ve got it.” Sam yelled and ran back to her. “Listen…. I can never repay you for what you are doing for me, but thank you, thank you much. I wouldn’t never forgive myself if you got into trouble because of me so if anyone comes asking you can say what ever you need to about me, I don’t-“ She was cut off as Malika pulled her into a soft kiss. Sam’s heart fluttered even while anxiety had it pounding in her chest.

“You will have one hell of a story after all of this. I’ll be going back to Earth in less than three years with any luck. If you come back, I’d love to hear it.” And with a wink, the older woman walked off leaving Sam just standing there, fingers going her lips.

“Rob isn’t the only one with game.” She murmured to herself before she rushed into the pod, no time to waste. 

Malika’s voice soon came through the speakers “Are you sure you want to go through the storm? If you crash I can’t help you.”

“I know, but I need cover from that sentinel.” She called back, the pod computer started rattling off facts about the planet. This was it, this was happening.

“I… I’m going to miss you, Sam.”

“I’ll find my way back.” and she meant it, they'll work this out and she was going to get with the woman of her dreams. 

The drop pod shot out, the force of it pushing her back into her seat. she gripped the wheel tightly and her fingers continued to tap as she counted all the fiery space rocks in her view. Eyeing the nearest meteor, Sam got as close to it as she would dare, maybe too close but she it was effectively hiding the pods signal and view with the sentinel. 

————————————

It had been days since Atlerra refused to let Robin speak to her sister. She should have known it wouldn’t have been so easy. They would have been suspicious. There were many things they could do with her sister while she was up there on the Vesper. The stranger she was talking to explained in great detail the financial, legal and social damage that could befall Sam if Robin didn’t play along. 

She was nearing her wits ends, she stood there on the hill top along side the rocket. Alterra’s and Al-An’s voices in her head competing the consequences of if she did or didn't give in and tried to get the Kharaa samples. They had been talking about nothing else for last few days. After being so happy, the sudden crash back to reality was wearing her down. But all she could focus on was that her sister’s voice and how it was so noticeably gone. Maybe Al-An could understand. She would have gone to try and get through the fallen cave system if not for what happened next.

She didn’t hear the rushing sound until Al-An had stopped next to her, she jolted back and held her hand up to keep him away. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry but they have Sam, I can’t just-“

“A drop-pod with one life form aboard has just entered the planets atmosphere. It should be visible to your eyes in T-5 seconds.” Al-An replied. She looked up searching but it was too hard to locate it among all the falling meteors. “Al-An… Al-An I need to speak with her can you contact the ship!” She grabbed into their arm, looking up at them pleadingly. 

“I will try.”

She garbed onto them tighter, looking between the dull purple they shone as they concentrated and back at the sky, trying to find something, anything. Suddenly there was an almost a static’s sound in her head, like the aliens mental connection just loss half its quality. “Sam!?”

“Robin!?”

“Oh my god” she cried out in relief “oh my god, Sam I was so worried about you-“

“Rob- - they - - - ‘old me you had died! Th- - - ust - - - something is - - - had to leave as soon - - - - “

“You’re breaking up, something must be interfering. Please be careful and just... get down here.”

“I just need to- - - - Rob! Rob!” There was a terrible sound both from the connection and above her. She looked up and saw the drop pod having collided with a meteor and suddenly be shot off course, being knocked away and sailing above them and off to the distance.

“I’ve lost the connection.” Al-An said, bright red “trajectory indicates she would have landed approximately 4000km away. _Robin we can reach her._ ”

“No, No she is out there all alone, she’s not prepared… When the Aurora crashed of all the passengers only one! _One!_ Survived, the rest died within hours! We’ll never get to her in time, the cyclops isn’t even ready! Al-An, what if they come looking for us before then! No, we... we were so close, Oh my god we were so close!” She was screaming at them, he didn’t mean to but she it was all she could do. 

“We will find her, and no one will get onto this planet until we do.” As always Al-An sounded so calm even as he glowed in that terrifying colour. They gestured as if they were stretching out again and then all around them, squares glowed in the sky, some meteors slipped while others exploded in the atmosphere. “You… you fixed the planets shield?” 

She looked up until the sky became nothing but fire. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also Sam's Wiki says she was diagnosed "Obsessive compulsive" so any tips on how some one would react to being stranded on an alien planet will be appreciated


	3. Welcome aboard, Captains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LMAO hey I'm back, sorry, Things got busy and I had some bad news so the burn out was real but things are settling and I have a new chapter for you guys!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Al-An: Computer, look up "centaur bed" on google images for me... yes perfect, I know we are on a time limit but... humans require cuddles.

  
It was a unique feeling when something terrible was happening and there was nothing you could do about it. Just sitting there as the weight in your stomach grows heavier and heavier. Al-An was still a violent shade of red, she didn’t know if it was because they actually cared for her sister from all the stories she shared of her or they were just feeding off her own emotions. The alien had remained very productive either way, they worked at a great speed putting together blue-prints for them to be able to move across the long distance of a sea as fast as they could. It had been around one hour since she saw her sisters drop pod get knocked cruelly off course, and she was just sitting here. Useless. Most people from the Aurora crash died within the first three hours of landing and there was nothing she could do to help her sister's chances. 

There was a beeping sound and a point of weight against her leg, she uncurled herself and saw scuttles, her crab cake’s little repair eye stalks wigging at her before it curled into her lap, locking its legs up until it was literally just a block of metal in her lap. She stoked over it and even if it couldn’t really feel her touch it still reacted with more little noise and so she appreciated the effort. 

But her despair still grew, she couldn’t stand just sitting and waiting, she had to do something, she had been packing away rations and material, she had the blue prints for a water purifier, and aquarium, grow beds, all the amenities she would have built in the sub if she had time to waste on them. What else might they need. Fuck she had all these things and Sam…. Sam had nothing, Sam was all alone, Sam was-“Fuck!” There was a small rock next to her and she just grabbed it and threw it at the wall with all her might. Her body jolting made Scuttles spout it's legs again and with a frightened tone it awkwardly crawled off her lap. “No wait, Craby-Cakes, I’m sorry.” she said before groaning and dropping her head in her hands. 

“You should rest” She looked up and saw, Al-An had paused in their work and was watching her now instead. Their glow only now fading to a duller grey colour. “No I… I really can’t do that right now. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

“It is an important safety procedure to ensure that you are at optimum levels of health before attempting to aid the health of others. So I ask, How are you?”

“I’m… I’m fine, really I am fine!” she said angrily which probably didn't help her point. 

“'Fine' must have different meanings in your culture as you always say you are 'fine' specifically when you have taken physical or emotional damage.” Robin was a little stuck for words, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, they were kind of right about that. She sighed loudly before she gave the robot a few more pets in apology and then walked over to the alien. She proceeded to hop up to piggy back on them, hugging Al-An around their waist and nuzzling against their back. “ok.. I’m not fine but… It can’t be helped until I find Sam. I don't know what I would do without her.” 

The alien continued typing away which was soothing and being able to simply hold them did at least help Robin calm some of the anger inside her. “Even if we get there fast, you said you only had a rough estimate of where she landed, there is gonna be a huge area to cover and it’s just…us! Two of us against a whole planet and a whole corporation.”

“The two of us have been quite formidable, both against this planet and against your own people so far. You must continue to have faith that we are enough. I have deduced that we are. I don’t know much about you humans but I know one of you survived here and cured the most devastating decease found in the universe. You are more hardly then your quaint and ill advised genetic design appear to be and so your sister can be too, Remember that.” 

She pressed a small kiss to Al-An shoulder and thanked him. But her mind was still going a mile a minute trying to work out a problem she couldn’t even fully see. Suddenly she had a thought and hopped off her alien to face them properly. “Al-An… I have an idea but you will need to agree to it before I even try it. Firstly, I’m sorry, you are probably not gonna like it.”

————————

Robin piloted the sea truck around the large blade like icebergs, looking for a break in the pure white of them to find what she was looking for. Robin didn’t know for sure if she would be here right now but this location was closer than diving down to the other base and time really wasn’t on their side right now. She spotted the greenhouse and started the trek up, wolfing down a heat fruit since she wouldn’t wait out the storm that had been blasting around her. It was quiet miserably but at least it distracted her from the ominous green glow of the sky which would occasionally have a spot of light as something exploded against it. 

She opened the door and was greeted by the growl of the snow stalker. She had never been so thankful to hear that sound before. “So you’re back, huh? Am I going to get an explanation about the little light show happening right now?” Came a low drawl. 

“I need your help.”

Margaret scoffed and opened her mouth to deny her and probable insult her too but Robin had no time for that and didn’t give her a chance to speak without hearing her out at least. 

“Hey! Do you want to get off this island!? I have a way off but I need you to help first so either let me speak or you can just stay here but know that that shield up there won’t last forever and Alterra will be reigning down on this location when it falls so the smart thing to do will be to hear me out!.”

Marguerit looked surprised by her outburst more than angry but Robin was still nervous and her eyes flicked towards the snow stalker that had started growling as soon as Robin had raised her at the older woman. Marguerit hummed and walked over, for a moment Robin thought she was going to strike her but instead she leaned onto the desk and crossed her arms. “You have my attention, now state your conditions and you better not be bullshitting me about getting off this damn rock. 

Relief flooded through her “I’m not bullshitting, I have way off.” And now for the first time she gets to tell another human about what she had found. “Ok umm… there is something you should know.” 

————————

Before she had left, Al-An had said that they would move to her base, it was closer to all the lockers that had all her collected materials to bring aboard and they needed to jack into her vehicle bay. After an interesting conversation where she tried to explain everything that had happened since an avalanche covered her base to Marguerit, The older woman was in and agreed to help find Sam in return for safe passage off this planet and away from Alterra. She didn’t seem surprised when she told her about Al-An but the older lady had spent a lot of time on this planet and the Pre-cursor tech was every where so it might not have been too much of a stretch. She just seemed a little quieter, Robin had assumed it was from some kind of shock over it. They both drove back in their seperate sea vehicles, snow stalker included and they met Al-An where they stood on a newly built platform fabricating a large submarine type creation section by section. 

Both ladies swam over and crawled up to join them, Al-An pausing to see the new human. “Ah, you much be the soul surviver from the Degasi crash, I go by Al-An for ease of communication. I am sure Robin explained the situation-“ The thing was, Al-An is so large and powerful that Robin just didn’t expect any one to try and fight him straight on which is why she in no way saw the signs before Marguerit launched herself at them and landed a hit that caught the alien’s chin which jolted to the side. The red flared back up and the metal limbs spun above them and for a moment she thought they would make that terrifying cannon again but they slowed and the flare faded back down. “I believe you tore the skin of your knuckles and will likely suffer bad bruising. Was it worth it for you when you hurt yourself more than you could me?”

Robin knew the topography of Al-An’s face intimately and knew they were right, that really would have been painful for Marguerit and for her alone. “Yes, because of what you fuckers did to the planet and that shitty fucking security system you built. Now I don’t give a single fuck about any of the rest of them, about the dogs from Atlerra or what other fucking space Jockeys that got too close… but that was for Bart you son of a bitch! That boy didn’t deserve what happened to him!” She spat venomously at Al-An before he she stepped back and took a deep breath, tugging her jacket straighter. “Now, that's settled… can we get this show on the road? I want to get the fuck of this wet rock.” 

—————————

Robin helped ferrying material back and forth for the ships continued construction, Al-An had factored in the room for Marguerit’s addition to the team and the sub was going to be massive, both longer and wider than the cyclops, the body of it the smooth style of the Alterra subs but the boosters and some extra feature for the defence capabilities became blocky and with the telltale imprinted patterns and glow that the pre-cursor was known for. 

It was a beautify kind of ugly. 

When it was finished building the sub crashed into the water with a large splash went waves around the area and then it was a mad rush for the ladies to transfer everything into the many lockers within the ship while Al-An tested the hybrid vehicle's computer system. Even when her own base lockers were emptied she still looked around her slightly barer base and felt like she was going to forget something important and that would be what cost them Sam’s life. She stood their frozen for a moment before he Marguerit walked in and didn’t even both defabricating the coffee machine but straight up pulled it off the wall to bring with them. 

“Good riddence.” Marguerit said looking around her base before heading into the hybrid sub.

Robin gave one last look around and stroked her hand softly over the wall. “Good riddance.” She echoed but much softer before she left the hatch one last time and joined the others, doing all the last final checks. 

It had felt like an eternity had passed since the sky first went green and she saw the smoke streak of her sister’s strayed escape pod and now in no time at all they were all in the ships cockpit looking at the hologram map Al-An brought up on the control panel. “This is the approximated area the shuttle could have crashed, even with the engine modifications and booster modules I have added it will still take us approximately 4.5 days of non-stop travel to reach the location. We can use the travel time to ensure we grow and build enough resources to ensure Sam is looked after as well as for all of us when he leave planet on the ship. I do not know how long the shields will stay up so we will need to leave as soon as we acquire the sister. This would be an excellent moment to share skill sets to better-"

“Yeah you two have fun with that, I’m having a nap.” Marguerit whistled “Come along, Dog.” She called out and the Snow Stalker which had been sniffing and nuzzling at an excited Scuttles looked up and happily trod after her. 

“You named the creature the other human's categorised as Snow Stalker… Dog? After the Earth originated domesticated mammal?” Al-An asked and even with no visible eyes the emotion she could see in their face when they turned to her with the abject disbelief of the human ability to name pets came across very clearly.

“Whats it to you, alien?” She replied and they both disappeared down the hallway to find her room.

Al-an looked after her in confusion for a few seconds before they went back to the ships controls. They just waved their arm and the sub lit up and started speeding smoothly through the water “It’s good to see you getting a long with other humans.” Robin said, leaning against the large alien. 

Al-An turned towards her, tilting their head curiously. “I see that all humans have the same propensity toward naming pets in a nonsensical manner and it is indeed, not just you.” 

For the first time in what felt like so long, she chuckled and the panic's grip on her chest loosened a bit. “It’s just how humans do.” She nuzzled against him for just a moment before she started walking around the sub, seeing the odd mix of tech all run by a great big mess of ion cubes in the engine room. It was very sparse so she started putting in everything they would need, placing some grow beds and seeding them, setting up the large aquariums and she was just about to add a cell charger when she felt the presence of Al-An beside her and then the sudden loss of gravity as she was now dangling in front of the alien. “You need rest also. It has been a long busy day and you have not sleep in a long time.”

She complained half heartedly but Al-An continued hovering her along to the room that by the look of it seemed to be their one. All that was in it so far was a bed which had a little section that was missing from the bottom corner so it looked like an upside down L with blankets on the floor of the gap. She was dropped on the bed and Al-An settled into the little nook, folding his legs under him and was able to rest his arms on the little panel of bed in front of him, head resting on his arms and looking at her. “This is a good design here, Architect.” She said, giving in and laying down, pulling a pillow to her so she can wrap around it and look back at him. “You do not need to stay here, go back to piloting the ship.”

“It is a submarine and I never stopped piloting, poor little human with your limited senses. You need to actually look out a window to see where you are going? Next you will inform me that you are unfortunate enough to not be able to control your vehicles through a direct neural interface either.” They said in a way where she just knew he was teasing her, probably trying to get her to chuckle again. Instead it made her eyes water because she knew they were doing so much to look after her and trying to cheer her up. 

Al-An misunderstood her reaction and their colour dimmed “Oh… no, please, I didn’t mean to be cruel by saying that. I… Robin I like your meagre human senses I didn’t mean-“ She leaned forward and kissed them gently, then kissed them again and again until their colour was a flushed pink. “Thank you… for being so calm and smart and helping me so much.” She said and they nuzzled foreheads together. 

“I would do conceivably anything for you, you only need to ask. But you need to do something for me now… sleep. I know you need it.” Robin sighed and did close her eyes, wrapping her fingers around Al-An's arm and holding it close as the lights dimmed around them. 

—————————

The jolt of the landing seemed to travel through her body, hurting her knees and spine as she tried to brace herself as she slammed into the snow. When the pod stopped sliding, she sat back after snatching her hands away from the steering as it started to spark. Sam was surprised she was still even alive. She tried to take a moment to breath and swallow her heart where it had jumped up into her throat but even with the alarm and flashing lights playing havoc to her sensors she still noticed the pod was on fire. She couldn’t stop the panicked screams as she tore her belt off and had to kick the door open and the flames licked at her, she dropped into the snow and made it a few steps away before the shuttle exploded behind her. 

“This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening.” She had read the files when Robin had joined the landing party here, she knew the danger levels were high even when you had a whole team and and all the Alterra technology to help you. She had to take a few deep calming breaths before she stood up on wobbly legs, looking up just in time to see the sky be covered in a patch work pattern of green. Fire of meteor explosions lit up against it and it aptly looked like the end of the world. But as terrified and confused as she was about that she had the feeling her sister was some how behind it. That gave her strength. Even though her anxiety was causing her to have so many intrusive thoughts about just jumping in the water and letting something gobble her up she knew her sister would be coming for her. So she was going to keep surviving. 

She searched the crash site and picked up some of the bottles of water and nutrient blocks which had fallen out of the pod before she looked at her hud and saw where he life pod had landed. She carefully made her way across the small island she had appeared to have landed on, counting the items she was carrying over and over again in her head. Sam jolted a little at the sight of the glowing plants and strange flora around her, anything could be dangerous and she might only find that out when it was too late. She had to hop over a few small sheets of ice before she looked out and saw he life pod out in the distance, a small thing bobbing in front of the back drop of a large and still ocean. 

Not matter how calm it was so much danger would lurk beneath it.

The water was reflecting the glowing green and yellow of the sky, she didn’t know what was under there, if she was lucky it would be a safe shallow and she could just stay in her pod until she was found with easy to find materials. If not… well, she had seen pictures of how easy some creatures can break open the metal of these pods and get to the survivors. She flapped her hands from the nervous energy as she psyched herself up. “Okay, One… Two…” She squeezed her eyes closed tight “Three!”

Sam jumped into the water. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robin: Subby McSub Face!
> 
> Marguerit: The Unstoppable Sub Machine 
> 
> Al-An: May I inquire what you are speaking of ? You have been at this for hours.
> 
> Marguerit: You may not
> 
> Robin: We're naming the sub <3
> 
> Al-An: ...
> 
> Al-An: *mentally puts parental lock on submarine customisation settings*


	4. Hull integrity critical!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a survival ocean-horror game after all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mag: Come get your Robot boyfriend!
> 
> Rob: Not a boy, Not a Robot!.... not just friends~ 
> 
> \-------------  
> Al: "We will be very hard to catch."
> 
> Mag: Wont be hard for you to catch these hands, b!tch!

  
Robin woke up still clutching at Al-An, they themselves were swirling a mix of purple, seemingly far away still piloting the sub. She just watched them for a moment and how their glow bounced off the walls of the darkened room until a wail sounded through the walls of the Sub. “Leviathan?” she asked.

“Human classified organism, the Void Leviathan. Sensors indicate there are four trailing us currently. Shield and weapons at the ready but we seems to be gaining distance on them. There is no need for alarm.”

“Are we going to encounter a lot of big guys out here?”

“Most likely. I do not have my memories of this stretch of ocean but it has high probabilities of larger organisms as we travel through the deeper stretches of ocean. We sacrificed any stealth to be moving at the speed we are. This will make us a target but since our speed is indeed considerable and I had added a wide ranged sonar detection we will be very hard to catch.”

She gave Al-An’s arm a little squeeze in thanks before stretching and getting out of bed. She trusted Al-An but the sounds of the Leviathans were triggering her flight response and she just couldn’t sleep any more while she could still hear them. She stepped out and Al-An followed, both heading to the cockpit where Marguerit was sitting in the captains chair, fingers tapping just below the gun controls. 

The other woman didn't looked back at them, just started speaking as she continued to look out the view screen. “When I floated along on that stinking carcass, a few things were nipping at it but one night… something big came up. Real big. Think by then the body was too putrid to eat but what ever it was sure gave the body a big tug. I don’t quite like being out here again.” 

Robin looked out, it was just endless black out there, she couldn't see her pursuers but the wails keep coming. “Al-An will keep us safe.”

Marguerit snorted. “Them aliens couldn’t keep anything safe.” 

“Al’s built this ship, they fixed and activated the shield covering this whole planet! They didn’t cause all of-“ she hissed in their defence but Al-An lay their arm on her shoulder stopping her. 

“It’s alright.” They told her so she backed down… for now. The roars soon faded but Marguerit's hands stayed by the controls.

—————————

For two days straight they continued to speed a long, unstopping as Al-An kept their focus on driving. They mostly kept to themselves, Robin and Marguerit managing to have a few more friendly conversations but she continued to stay aloof towards Al-An. Robin was doing her best to change that but it was a slow moving effort. Loud terrifying cries would still ring around them every so often and they were mostly on edge, she didn't think any of the humans or aliens were getting much rest regardless of them having nothing else to do. The only ones who seemed to be having a good time was Dog and Scuttles Crab-Cake who became good friends, chasing each other up and down the sub hallway. It was common place to find Dog drooling all over the little robot or them sleeping the with the folded up block of metal balancing precariously on the animal. 

Robin and Marguerit were comparing their favourites of the planet’s foods when Al-An’s voice rang loud but calmly through the speakers. “Please brace for immediate impact.” The two ladies shared one look before they both were clutching at their chairs and table, not a second later the sub jolted violently tilting at an unnerving angle. “What the fuck!” The other woman yelled and then there was a terrible lurch down. Marguerit didn’t wait any longer and shot out of her chair, holding on the wall as she rushed to the cockpit. 

Robin followed soon after, another jolt hit them and she fell against the wall which was becoming much more parallel to the floor than she would have liked. She looked through the window she had fallen on and she could see from the light inside the sub that there was something with patchy maroon skin covering the window. “Oh my god…. Oh my god!” She scrambled up and ran as best she could. 

When she reached the cockpit lights and alarms were going off everywhere, Marguerit was yelling at Al-An but her attention was stolen by the site of the sonar map… There was a red glowing figurer of disturbing size, it has limbs wrapped around the Sub and its body under it was too big to even fit map. “What the hell is that?” The Sub was quaking around them and she could see the depth gage spinning in a rapid decent. “Al-An!?”

“Unknown. Rose up too fast and encircled us before I could take evasive manoeuvres. Defence systems activated, please brace.” 

She latched onto the Al-An and Marguerit dropped into the captains chair buckling herself in. Al-An brought their arms together and then threw them open and a pulse of green energy expanded around them in the shield modules honey comb shape. Robin could see a tentacle that might have been wrapped around the ship get flung off. The sub’s boosters activated and the gun controls rose up towards Marguerit. “If you don’t mind. I have much to focus on.” 

The tail camera’s feed came up on the screen and they were shown the tentacles all reached back for them. “I’m not dying from this fucking planet!” Marguerit growled and began shooting at any movement that drew close. As beams of green energy hit the creature it would light up, only revealing only small sections of the giant creature at a time. It was all teeth, layered in many rows within a circular gaping mouth and clouded eyes of different sizes spread everywhere around it. 

Robin was frozen by the sight of it but the creaking of the ship snapped her back to herself. caution rang out about the hull integrity. She let go of Al-An and ran back through the ship, she found the repair tool and worked on fixing every crack and hull breach the monster had caused. Robin was kept busy as a few more hits made contact with the Sub. She had to dodge a few bits of furniture flying around the and almost got clocked by a chair. She could hear the rapid fire of the weapons going off all without pause but soon the hits stopped coming. She ran back and watched the screen again. The giant creature looked to at least be falling behind but the Sub’s power was also rapidly draining as well. There was gradual glow in the distance in front of them, she checked the depth gage and they were approaching the surface but the creature didn’t seem to be giving up yet. 

The Sub breached the surface and took air for a moment before cashing back down and continuing to speed at the water’s surface, behind them she saw as parts of the rose to the surface. At first she thought it was a type of Sea Dragon leviathan but as it came up, smooth tentacles with spade like ends, a massive bulbous body with spines trailing leathery sheets behind it. It was something else entirely. 

They zigzagged along, tentacles spearing out of the water around them but out of the depth it seemed to be moving slower and eventually it seemed have given up as the tentacles stops flying at them. they watched as the creatures stopped and seemed to just watch them before sinking back to where ever the hell it game from. They kept speeding along the surface until the engine started to over heat and the battery grew too low causing the sub came to a gradual stop. The humans were still panting and shaky, but soon Marguerit gave out a big cry of triumph “Take that motherfucker!” She laughed a bit hysterically. 

Robin turned to Al-An and buried her face into their chest, hugging them close as their arms wrapped around her. “Are you well?” They asked softly.

“No the fuck I’m not! What kind of question is that?” Marguerit yelled back but the Alien just ignored her.

“Yeah, Al, I’m fine- I mean… You know what I mean.” She gave a big sigh or relief and she was sure the bulging abomination was going to appear in her dreams after this. “What was that thing. It couldn’t have been a Leviathan, could it?”

“I do not believe so. New classification needed.”

“Well I’m not going back to scan it now!” She laughed anxiously as well and slumped against the alien.

“Well you know what it reminded me of?” 

Robin perked up and went to the co-captain's chair and while she didn’t work for anyone anymore she was still a scientist. She added saved the video feed to a file and added a title.

**Classification: Kraken class organism**

———————————  
  
They all had a break, a lot of the furniture needed to be put back or fixed but it didn’t really take too long. After that the Sub just needed a few moments to charge up again. Marguerit, Robin and Dog climbed up to the top hatch of the sub and looked around, they really were right in the middle of the ocean, nothing at all on the horizon except for a few small icebergs, nothing even flying in the cloudy skies. There might be life under the surface but she wasn’t feeling too curious at the moment to risk diving in and looking around. She didn’t even want to look at the camera feed. They were just quiet and decompressing when Marguerit asked slyly. 

“So… You’re kind of a freak huh?”

“I… What?”

“It’s a small sub, you didn’t think I’d notice you sharing a room with with the alien? All the hugs and long looks. The 'are you well?' and gogo eyes?” 

Robin didn’t reply for a moment before giving a small “Technically we’re all aliens while on this planet.”

She snorted and rolled her eyes “Got that lonely, huh?”

“No, it wasn’t like that we just… got a long. They’re a scientist like me, They were interesting and... powerful. When were were connected mentally -and I mean that in a literal sense- for a while and so we just… really bonded after that. We became friends, we learned from each other and then yeah, we became... a bit more.”

“I remember there was a whole subculture on Earth just waiting to find an alien so they could bang. Maybe your boyfriend can make a few introductions.”

“Well not a boyfriend. They don’t really have a gender like that, it's quite fascinating about how their self identity and community structures differs from our own-”

“Ha, might not be what that pervs on Earth are looking for then.”

“ _Oh, they really are, you have no idea._ ” 

Marguerit gave her a look and Robin just wiggled her eyebrows until they both laughed. “Damn you really are a freak, okay, but keep that shit to yourself. I don’t want to even know.” 

“Okay, okay, though it is kinda nice to finally talk about it with some one, I have to say, been down here with them for months and no one knew, couldn't even tell... anyone”

“Well i hate to break it to you but I really don’t care." She paused and thought for a moment "Well, the fact that you hid that thing from Alterra tickles me a bit. What dumbasses, how do you miss a thing like that. They're huge and not that subtle.”

“I spoke to the watch tower _many times_ while Al-An was standing right next to me. It was kinda funny, yeah.”

They were both laughing again and Marguerit gave her a nudge with her elbow. It hurt but she took that as a sign the other woman was coming around to them.

—————————

The rest of the trip was _thankfully_ uneventful, though they still jumped at every sound and every moment of turbulence. She spoke to the alien about how it might be nice to go to a plant which wasn’t so water based next time. A forested planet might be nice. It was around the end of the fifth day that they finally arrived at the approximated location. They had to park the Sub where it was still rather deep so while Al-An stayed inside to try and find any per-cursor bases that might have logged any movement or landings. 

Each lady took their own vehicle which had been stored in the sub and set out in different directions. Robin found herself in a biome which looked like the twisty bridges area she was used to except for a few different plants and fish, she couldn’t help but scan a few of them. She found another fish which was a medium size with little sacks running along its body that had held desalinated water which she could have used for fresh water, if her sister found it all well she would be set. She drove her sea truck passed a little cave when suddenly a big silver eel type organism with beige stripes shot out and tried to bite the truck making her cry out in surprise. 

Still predators. Less hopeful. 

As she traveled on, looking for any sign of the life pod or just human interaction in the environment in general. Robin found her cold hands gripped tighter and tighter on the wheel as she tried to keep herself from breaking down in the face of all her fears. 

“Hey kid!” Marguerit’s voice came through the radio making her jump. “I’m sending you some coordinates.”

“What have you found?” Robin asked but got answer, just the icon for Marguerit’s prawn suit on her HUD. She felt like she might throw up while driving to that location. She stayed by the surface, just hoping against hope that she would see the life pod and Sam just waiting for them. They came up to an island, it had a high but flat peak, looked like it was a dormant volcano by the black stone peaking out from under the snow which which had long since hardened to stone but still liked like it was mid flow. 

She climbed out and ran across the island, coming to the sea prawn and then burned out wreckage of the shuttle. She froze and was about to actually throw up when Marguerit spoke up again “I looked, no body inside, no crabs to have eaten her up. She survived the landing at least.” Robin fell to her knees and gulped a few deep breaths. She curled her fists into the snow, just the thought that ‘she is alive’ just kept repeating in her head over and over again. “Ah shit… Okay there you go, just… yeah.” Marguerit sounded a bit unsure and Robin felt too rough pats on her shoulder before the older woman stood away awkwardly, letting Robin have a moment. 

“I’m okay, I’m okay.” She said and stood up straight again, rubbing her hands together to warm them up. “So... so if the shuttle landed here, the life pod shouldn’t be too far yeah?” 

Marguerit didn’t look as optimistic as Robin wished that she would but she wasn’t going to let it get to her. It was small but she had something to hold onto again. They scoured the whole island together, looking for footprints or a habituate or anything to show that Sam had stayed on this island. But they didn’t find any. All the while she kept here eyes on the water around it for the life pod but still, nothing. ‘She was alive, she was alive, she was alive-‘

Dejected she got back into the sea truck to look under the water around the island. Under the water the lava flow from however long this volcano erupted left the shallow, sloped seas floor black obsidian with smaller start leafy plants growing in patches over it, as well as some acid mushroom and other familiar flora. A few schools or fish seemed to be darting about, the winter lighter colours making them stand out much more in this dark backdrop. 

She drove slowly, knowing that maybe any moment now she’ll see her sister swimming around, maybe frazzled but other wise okay.

And then she saw the life pod. 

Sitting at the bottom of the sea floor. A large gash ripped across the side. 

“No… no, no, no, no!” She yelled squeezing her eyes shut, as she sobbed against her steering wheel.

She didn’t even here the wrap as Alan joined in the back of the sea truck. “Robin… Robin.” She heard Al-An’s voice but she just couldn’t respond. “…I’m not asking and I apologise for that.” She felt their presence in her head again, making her vision swirl at the edges as she was overcome by a light headedness. The tears stopped and instead of the over whelming depression she just felt numb. Al-An was suppressing her emotions. She didn’t even know if she was offended or grateful. 

“I apologise again but I… I don’t know how else to help you. I’m still learning of emotions myself but I can do this for you.” She turned back and looked at them where they sat in the back of the sea truck. “We don’t have all the facts yet. We will get answers and then and only then I will let you mourn.” 

Robin unbuckled herself and moved to Al-An’s section and wrapped her arms around them. “I don’t know if I can have any hope again. This is just too much. Just don’t let me feel again.”

“You told me not all emotions are positive but that you need to feel them, they are necessary." 

"Don't quote me to me." she felt their arms wrap around her and she just stared at the wall while she vaguely hear Al-An directing Marguerit to the life pod to explore. She didn't move and inch until Marguerit’s voice came back through the radio. 

“I found her PDA, There are some messages left on, last one dated back two days ago.”

She squeezed Al-An really tightly in her arms “Play them.”   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marguerit: I have had it with these motherf@cking fish on this motherf@cking planet! 
> 
> \--------
> 
> Don't you love a cliff hanger~


	5. Adding emergency shelter blueprints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How close am I going to follow the new story when it comes to Sam's fate? 
> 
> Lets find out~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a hard chapter to write and well in the new story Sam is in robotics sooooooooo
> 
> Rob: So I know me and Al-An being together is quite a surprise-  
> Sam, remembering Robin playing Mass Effect and ignoring the story to hound Garrus for love and affection:  
> Sam: I believe there were some signs

**Day 1**

“Hey Robin, I… I don’t know if you are close enough to hear this but… I’m Alive!”

Samantha said as cheerfully as she could muster while curled up, wet, cold and alone in the little life pod. She had only moments ago finished swimming the short distance from the island and was amazed by the colourful flora on the black ocean floor but she didn’t dare linger. “It is kind of beautiful out here i'll admit that but I’d still rather just see pictures of It than have to actually be here, you know? Yeah, just sitting in my bed, cup of hot coffee… maybe some apple spiced tea cakes.” Sam paused the recording and looked back out the floor hatch, looking at the few random fish swimming by. No more nice foods for a while then. No going back. Not for a long while. 

“So come and get me! I have a lot to tell you and _you_ have a heck of a lot more to tell me!. Staring with an actually translation from that story you told me and also what is happening with the sky right now.” She looked out the top hatch and yes, the green glowing squares were still covering the sky like a patch work blanket. 

She got as comfortable as she could in this space “Just… please hurry, Rob.”

**Day 2**

Samantha didn’t know by how much she had been sent off course but she was beginning to get worried. The rest of the day had passed and when she slept fitfully through the night and then she had woke up again there was still no sign of her sister. Surprisingly she still felt a little optimism even now, she had made it a day, she knew her chances were good if she had survived the first day, heck he was going amazing for surviving the landing and the first three hours on planet. Even if it took a while all she needed to do was keep surviving like this and everything would be fine in due time. 

But she hated just sitting here. She had to keep reminding herself that she had heard her sisters voice, she didn’t know how she got through to her escape shuttle but she they had spoken. It was real. Robin was alive. Robin would come for her.

She hoped that maybe some how Robin could still hear her by what ever means she had spoken to her before but either way talking to her helped Sam feel calm. “I’m feeling a bit claustrophobic in here, but I know I should just sit here and wait and chew on these god awful nutrient blocks... it’s really stifling in here though. I don’t know how you stayed in here for so long… well I guess you didn’t. Not like I am.” Again she looked down at the hatch on the bottom of the life pod, something blue and wavy swam by. “I guess It’s kind of like the beach… an English beach in the winter but you know… still a beach. God, you’re my little sister, I was meant to be the brave one, the one coming after you.” She didn’t want to be scared all the time and incapable of looking after herself, she didn’t have a long lasting supply of food and fresh water if she did absolutely nothing that would be almost as dangerous as being reckless out there. Almost. And so she would rather not wait until she was forced to go out and scavenge when she had no resources left. 

She hesitated, staying in the pod for a few more hours just watching as life moved outside her pod in-between counting everything that was in here, over and over again. “I got half way here, Rob, I guess you can do the rest but I will try my best to be more brave. I’ll be waiting for you. I promise.” She placed the PDA down and stood above the hatch. he picked a number and started timesing them in her head, getting that problem solving mantra keeping her calm and then-

A rush of bubbles came up around her as he dropped back into the water. It thankfully wasn’t too deep she just swam around the pod, until she grew a bit more confident and started wandering further away. Maybe she had in fact landed in a safer place to be. She eventually was able to go further, she even had a go at catching a fish which took her a little while to do but she was slowing getting the hang of it and she managed to catch two while exploring. 

Then she saw something.

“So Breaking rocks open without a knife kinda hurts, Why don't they just already have a bunch of the survival equipment in the pod? Ugh thank you that one absolute jackass on Obraxis Prime, really make thing inconvenient for the rest of us... sorry I'm getting off topic. So, I think I actually need a scanner. I found something out there. Rob, I swear it almost gave me a heart attack but I think I actually know what it is. Need to make sure though. Okay I hate this planet, you’re the nature person here but this, this isn’t nature! And yes I know… _danger._ But I promise you I’m not doing anything _too reckless_ , I’m not the braver of us two but… I don’t think this will be dangerous if I read the file right… yeah, It will be fine! Now _You_ have probably done much more dangerous things while down here, I am certain of that but… oh but my inner robotises needs this.” She chuckled. 

Sam made the scanner and a repair tool and set out into water again, she explored the black stone rolling across the seas floor. She rounded a larger hill and saw it again. There was a creature, half pinned by some fallen ice and rock, it was still making sounds so it was alive but it didn’t seem to be trying to escape it’s predicament. She approached it slowly and while it did turn to look a her, it other wise continued do nothing. She carefully scanned it before swimming back up to the top to breathe and read the data bank entry. 

**Warper, self-warping quarantine enforcer unit. Threat level: ?**

Her eyes widened as she looked at the data that they had on the alien robotic components it had within it. He looked at the data log for the warper and this was something she was interested in, robotics. That had been where she first started working when she joined Alterra, she had been there for many years and while he was in a higher part of the company food chain and dealt with more paper work than circuitry this is her main passion. 

She chipped at the ice surrounding it, it took a few trips up and down from the surface to do it and it was getting free, each moment she was ready to dash away even though the data showed that it would only attack the infected. It was getting late when it eventually got free and just sunk to the ocean floor. It's side and back littered with injuries which seemed to have broken parts of the internal machine structure. She explored it a bit before returning when the sun has sunk in the sky.

“Okay don’t get mad but I found a project to work on while I wait for you.”

**Day 3**

She worked on the wiring of the sunken robotic creature, it was a long and hard process as she had to keep going up for air, she didn’t eventually collect some more supplies for an air tank and every so often go back to the life pod when she needed to drink and eat. “The warper seemed to have gained some external and internal damage, I have been able to work on some precursor tech before but nothing like this. Still not attacking me you don’t need to worry at all… not to jinx it or anything. Just remember those pengwing drones I made for you mission? Just think of that but bigger... creepier... and can travel much faster.”

it took the whole day to fix all the hardware but after was the hard part, reprogramming it. she couldn't reprogram it from from nothing, more so just tweaked it's commands a little bit, in stead of targeting the infected it would target through who seem a threat or showing aggressive or creatures above a certain threat level. It was dark when she had finished her work and she carefully and slowly swam back, something roared near her, only for there to be a wrap energy bubble off in the direction it came from and for what ever it was to have been sent away. 

"Robin, I'm a genius!" 

**Day 4**

Sam was feeling good about herself right now, swimming around with a warper following her, She tweaked with its program some more, just seeing what she could do with it, it seemed very receptive now that it's previous objective was completed. It would still do it own thing but would warp to stay within a certain rang of her, scaring her some times when it popped up but she was getting used to it.

"Oh Rob-" she said between bites of an arctic peeper "You know they wanted me down here on this planet with you, not for this but just imagine if-" he paused and then sighed "Well probably another good reason I never came down here, I think they stole enough warper technology. But still, my plan seems to be working-" There was the roar of something and then a bang as something rammed against her pod followed by the sound of her Warper. "Shit, I have to go." The pod shook again and she climbed out the top half, hoping to be able to dive away further from where it was being attacked. She must have jinxed it.

———————————————

“She was working on a _warper?_ That’s kind of bad ass” Robin heard from Marguerit over the speaker. She had other wise been quiet while they had all been listening. 

“Doesn’t explain what happened to her, something could have gone very wrong. Why on Earth would she do that?” Robin stressed. 

“Oh yeah, she should instead be like her little sister and befriend the robotic alien that has a conscious instead?”

“I… This is different.”

“Is it, now?”

Robin slowly released Al-An from where she was clutching into them, the alien looking back down at her. “You are your sister do seem very a like, and you a complete null psi connection between your species? Fascinating.” 

“So she hot-wired a warper and then something went wrong… do we have any more clues about where she might have gone?” 

Al-An shone a soft green “Yes, if she is staying with the warper after the attack on her pod, I can track it from one of our old bases. Would you like me out of your head now?”

“No.” She said quickly “Stay here with me, I… I need to be able to think clearly and… we still don’t know what we will find." she couldn't even say it. ”I'll need you with me." 

"I will take it under advisement that neither of our species have figure out the optimal way to have and process these... emotions. Maybe we can find the right balance. Something to ponder on. At a later date I can assume." They leaned down and nuzzled at her slightly before Al-An let her go completely. 

The human retuned to her seat behind the wheel as Al-An added an icon to where they could find the base. Robin was quiet as she drove, it felt like there was a whole damn of emotion being held back by the presence of the alien in here head. She was caught between fear, hope, relief and anger. She just didn’t know how to deal with this situation. They made it to the precursors base which was down in the depth of the twisty bridges area. 

After taking down the forcefield at the entrance they all wondered inside and watched as Al-An accessed the computer system. “There are currently four warpers in this area and …one shows unauthorised modifications to hardware and software. I can stay here and lead you to it and join you when you find it.

Robin didn’t care if Marguerit was watching and walked over to her lover and motioned them down so she could press a kiss to the side of their face. “If… if the worst happens-“

“We will work through it, and I will not make any hasty decisions like I had considered before but will help with anything you will need.” They flushed a soft pink before returned back the the alien purple. “I do not believe in luck, there are many forces, in the world, time, gravity, all of the rules of physics that encompass us... but I wish It for you if it means anything for you.”

“Thank Al.”

There came a long groan from Marguerit “… are you going to start doing the ‘You leave first’ ‘no you leave first’ thing? ‘Cos I’ll just go wait in my pawn suit if that’s the case.”

——————————————

Al-An told her were to go and the way the warper was moving, it had been jumping around an area but seemed to have circled back and was now stationary at a deep set of coordinates. Robin and Mag drove down deep, the closer she got the move she could feel the damn in her mind almost brushing from the anxiety Al-An was holding back. “You’re gonna be okay, kid, no matter what we find okay? Just … breathe?” Marguerit said hesitantly, she seemed very uncomfortable trying to be the comforting person in this but Robin appreciated the effort. They found a tunnel and followed it, dodging a few other the jellyfish type organisms floating in clusters. They came up towards what looked like an air pocket and right in front of it was the warper. 

“I’m gonna shoot it-“

“Don’t! Not, yet. It’s not attacking us.” 

Robin left her sea truck and carefully swam past it, creating as much distance between them as she could. It only watched but other wise just stayed hovering there. Breaching the surface she looked around, it seemed to be a cave where glowing plants and crystals grew all over the walls, lighting it softly in many hues of colour. The air pocket was stuffy but liveable. Would have been a wonderful discovery it it wasn't for the circumstances that had led them here.

“Pretty swanky digs.” Marguerit said looked around before a voice rang out in the cave. 

“Who are you? I’m not going back to Alterra so you should just leave before I have you warped out!”

“Sam!?”

“Robin!?”

Her sister popped up from where she was had been crouch behind a rock, knife in hand looking up in shock. “I knew you were coming I just knew it!”

And just like that she felt Al-An’s presence in her mind pull away and she was running to her sister, sobbing as she desperately hugged her. Samantha held up no better and soon they were both crying and clinging onto each other. “I thought something terrible had happened to you! I found your life pod, it was sunk!”

“This big eel creature came and was attacking the pod, the warper started defending me and attacking it rather than just warping it and the pod was damaged when it was caught in the middle of the two, I was going to leave a message but it grew dark and so I needed to find a new place which was here. The Eel things come out at night more so than the day-"

“All this being scared of the planet and the first thing you do is reprogram a warper?”

“hey it protected me and I got to to warp me around the ocean, it stopped me from being alone out here. I didn't know how long it would take you to get here, I thought there was going to be a much longer wait!” They looked at each other, both a little bit of a mess and eyes red from crying and they couldn't help but laugh and hugged each other tighter. 

"I missed you Sam."

"I missed you too, Rob."

The hug lasted a few minutes and then with the warper so close to the surface, even up here they could all hear the frightening sound it made to signal it saw something. Sam held her knife closer as she looked towards it “Somethings coming.” She said warily and for a second Robin tried to remember if the shield was still up over the sky or not before there was a purple glow rising from the water. “Cath, command, threat teleportation!” Samantha yelled. 

“Wait!” Robin said holding her sisters hand, there was a blue flash like the warper was building the energy to teleport something but instead it just faded away before the purpled glow took over before Al-An stepped out of the water. 

“Samantha Ayou?” They asked to which her sister screamed and threw her knife at them. It was a weak throw and it had barely hit their leg and with their tough skin just harmlessly bounced off. Al-An just cocked his head in confusion while Mag was cracking up laughing, having to hold onto a rock to keep herself up right. 

Robin quickly went to stand between them “Sam! Sam, no it’s okay this-“ she walked over to the alien and put her hand on their back. “This is Al-An. My… friend.” One thing at a time. 

“This is Al-An?”

“Yep.”

Sam looked at them up and down a few times before looking at here again. "This is the cute boy at space camp Al-An?" 

Robin looked up at the looming presence that was Al-An and yeah, she remembered when she had first seen them, how frightening they looked and how she was sure they were going to hurt her. Some time they still had that effect like when they were aggressive or just in the dark with their colours only glowing through with their alien patterns. 

“I assure you, I mean you no harm, I have been working with your sister for quite some time, she was kind enough to house my consciousness when we first met and I learned a great deal of you from her and she has learned and even greater deal from my vast intelligence in return. I believe the phrase is… it’s nice to finally meet you?” 

Sam looked at her, still a little in shock and probably questioning the whole ‘housing my consciousness’ part of what Al-An said. Before she looked back at them and stuttered through a "I guess it's nice to meet you too... Al-An. Their name is really, Alan?"

"Yeah, It's great isn't it... and Cath?"

"Oh... I needed to call the warper something sos Cath is an abbreviation of Cthulhu... wait so you were upset i messed with a warper and here you are running around with this f- hmm with a great big alien? Wait are they an Architect?"

"Yep!" 

Sam now looked at Al-An with a little bit more awe with in the layers of her shock but poor Al-An seemed to be stuck on the name before there was a swirl in her vision again of what she could only assume was them looking the name up. She knew when they found it from the flash of dark colour through them. She was sure she was going to have to listen to another rant about the illogical nature of humanities ability to name things. 

The sound of a throat clearing sounded through the cave and all eyes went to the other woman “Hey, I’m Marguerit, and by the way, I punched the alien when I first saw’em so I think we’ll get a long just fine.” Marguerit then turned toward Al-An and Robin “So, we got the girl… time for us E.T.’s to go home yet?”   
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol yeah who thought I was going to kill her off? Be honest. But I don't have the heart to do that. 
> 
> Rob: What'ch you got there?  
> Sam, standing beside her reprogrammed warper:  
> Sam: A smoothie  
> \---------------
> 
> Rob: did you name it?  
> Sam: I did, it's name is Cath  
> Al: ah, a normal name at last!  
> Sam: -in abbreviation of Cthulhu  
> Al: ... SO All humans gotta like this, huh?


	6. Seek fluid intake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut break!
> 
> The title of this chapter was chosen cos they so thirsty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mag: Okay so we're all together can we /please/ leave now?
> 
> Al, beaming up Robing and holding her over their head: TOO MUCH EMOTION, I NEED SOME ALONE TIME WITH MY GIRLFRIEND. RIGHT NOW!
> 
> Rob: ;3

Sam was asleep in her bed now that they had retuned to the submarine. The two had spent a little time causally catching up, saving the more in depth talks for the morning when they both were a little more stable. Robin had been temped to fall asleep in the same bed, like she had done when she was younger but she was still a bit wired and so quietly she got up and walked through the sub. It was night currently and it was very quiet. Marguerit and Dog were asleep in their own room, Crab-cakes likely with its new friend there as well. Cath, too was floating outside and keeping them all safe. She chuckled to herself about the odd little collection they had all made here on this planet. It was a world of nightmares but… she might just miss it now.

She peaked into her room and saw it was empty and so headed to the cockpit where she was greeted by a mix of purple glowing from Al-An and the green which penetrated the waters surface from the planetary shields. Robin stepped up beside the Alien and looked out into the water as she leaned against them. “How are you Al-An?”

“I am optimal.”

“Even emotionally?” She queried as the alien had been a little quiet since they had all packed aboard the sub again. She was a bit distracted by her sister but she was sure she saw a few flickering changes to their colour so she could tell something was on their mind.

Even now at her question there was a flood of many colours flowing over them before settling again. “Unsure.”

“Can you tell me what is causing your uncertainty? Is it leaving the planet or …the people we have with us?” She tested carefully.

The alien was quiet for a moment before replying “It is many things. The process of leaving this planet, the shields are starting to fade, we will be traveling to my home planet and I do not know what has befallen them… your sister attacked me, that as well does not bode well for her accepting our …partnership.”

Ah, she thought that might have been bothering them, she wrapped her arms around their torso and hugged them, pressing a few kisses over their chest. “Big sisters don’t usually approve, that’s what makes it more fun.” She teased and stroked her hands over Al-An’s back. “You can just be physically intimidating to see... especially for the first time. She just needs to get to know you like I have, it will be fine Al, she'll like you and the fact that you make me happy and keep me safe. With everything else… we’ll all be here to help you with that when the time comes as well.“

“…Thank you Robin.” She smiled and they both watched the depth of the ocean for a moment longer but Robin didn’t wait too long before he spoke up again. “Would you care for a bout of de-stressing through physical stimulation?” She asked with the same phrasing that the Alien has used before.

Al-An flushed warm colours and she found herself being beamed up and dropped into their arms “Yes, Please, thank you.” They said before they were being flitted by Al-An’s great speed into their room.

“Ugh, Al, you know I hate it when you do that.” She complained but she couldn't help but be amused at the alien's obvious greedy excitement to get some alone time again.

“my apologies.” They said in a way that didn’t sound sorry at all.

She pulled a few more pleases out of Al-An before Robin found herself defabricated out of her wetsuit and draped across the bed. Al-An sat in front of her between her legs as her vision went swirly as their minds joined before their bodies would. There was something she noticed from their mental connection, the way Al-An felt like they were holding onto her just that bit tighter, desperately, which she tried to soothe by focusing on her own affection for them.

The phantom touches Al-An caused started traveling over her skin, like many sets of hands were touching her all at once. She held the Alien close by her thighs but stretched out on the bed, hands above her head as she sighed contently as she was caressed. “I do not think I had a proper concept for beauty before I was inflicted with your human emotion but I can say now subjectively… you are very beautiful like this. I would not be surprised if your current form was the optimal for your species as you have no way to recreated and modify your bodies as my species does.”

“You’re dirty talking is greatly improving.” She said and meant it “please continue.”

“I am fast learner.” They said proudly and the phantom touches grew firmer and bolder, caressing over her breasts and between her legs now. “I can taste the hormonal cocktail flow through you as your arousal builds, I can feel ever micro-degree that your body’s temperature increases and how excitable the atoms making up for cells become. It is all very… I believe intoxicating is the best descriptor for it. It fogs my mind and makes you the soul focus and it is an understatement that I other wise can have multiple thoughts as the same time. But you have such and effect on me Robin. A little human like you can do this to a being like me.”

Robin’s hands twisted into the covers of the bed as her nerves were being lit up and pleasure coursed through her in a way that had her already struggling to hold back moans. “Al… Al-An… please.”

“What do you need?”

“You, just you.”

“And you can have me and all of me.” Another spike of pleasure went through her and she was shuddering where she lay on the bed, she wondered how she might look right now let alone how Al-An was perceiving her. Pulse after pulse of pure pleasure wracked through her system until she was a mewling mess held on the edge. “Al… AL t-t-t… oh fuck p-please… t-touch me.”

“Not yet.” And again their voice was steady and investigative and it just turned Robin on even more. She tried her best to be quiet and kept trying to ask between moans for anything Al-An would give her but they just kept watching until the quakes of pleasure grew closer and closer together and soon she was arching off the bed as she reached a climax, her mouth opened in a silent scream and she writhed. She was gulping for breaths as he finally dropped back on the bed like her strings has been cut, still a little shaky from how intense that orgasm had been. “Jeez, Al-An… What was that?” He eventually panted out but she then jumped as the cold metal of Al-An’s robotic arms encircled her thighs and yanked her closer to the Alien.

“That, is still present tense 'this'… if you are able to continue?” And now they were little slip some emotion just to appear smug and she hated how that worked on her.

“You play so dirty. Yes, what else you got, Al?”

“You know what I ’got’ you were there for it’s design.” They replied and the alien rolled its hips letting their cock drag along her sensitive pussy.

She was so wet and sensitive from her orgasm that it slid so easily against her and had her body on first as ever bump and dip from the pattern marking Al-An’s cock teased her clit. “Al, no more teasing, come one and fuck me.”

“You didn’t say-“

“Now!”

She was pretty sure she heard a chuckle or at least felt one in the bright emotions bleeding into her mind. “As you wish.” There was an actually physical touch on her hips as the alien’s arms pressed against her, gently holding her as after a few more torturously slowly rubs against her, the Alien pulled back and slowly started pushing in. “It… is always such a marvel feeling you like this, your touch, so hot and wet and tight… how you just take me in.”

“Oh believe me…I share some similar sentiments every time you enter me.” Robin chuckled and reached down to hold hands with Al-An and properly hook her legs around them again. They started moving again, still slow but pressing all the right places that had after shocks of heat and electricity sparking in her core. She couldn’t help it as every exhale came with a small moan as the thrust soon came faster. She had to remove one hand from them to instead cover her mouth, still trying her best not to be too loud and wake the other occupants of the sub but she was so close to just not caring and giving in completely.

It wasn’t long before her nails were digging into their rough skin and she hit a second peak, squeezing around Al-An’s cock until she heard a moan from them as well, and she swore she could hear fireworks going off but was certain about the lighting in the room flickering before going dark. She would have laughed if she wasn’t such a wet panting mess at the moment.

After a moment the sub's lights and Al-An’s markings lit up again and she carefully sat back up, stroking her hands over Al-An’s face “Have fun?”

“Unequivocally. Yourself?”

"Hell yeah." She nuzzled against him before pressing a few kisses to the side of the face. “Okay so that was amazing but I really need a shower now and you can replace the bed sheets because they’re a mess too. You really know how to de-stress-“ There was the sound of running passed her door and she covered how mouth and laughed “Oh god, I hope no one heard us, I tried really hard but maybe that was a little too good.”

“… in the essence of full disclosure, the other passengers… maybe have heard something else.” Al-An said hesitantly and Robin stared them down as the heavy boot steps returned down the hall to their room.

“I head the guns go off and the lights went all weird, are we being attacked?” Margaret called out, banging on their door.

Al-An voice came quieter “During the power surge during climax… I may have set off the weapons system. We should tell her what happened to dissuade any worries.” And that explained the fireworks.

“No we’re not telling her what we were doing, humans keep this private.” Robin hissed back to them before yelling back at the other human “It was a false alarm, apparently something... tripped the system and you know.. since the ship is a bunch of different parts put together…. It just, you know... went off?”

Al-An’s voice went through the speaker in the hallway. “Their is no danger, my apologies, you may return to sleep.”

There was no response for a moment before an annoyed sigh was heard behind the door “I swear to fuck, you two to better keep it in your pants when the Alien is actually driving or I’m cutting what ever the alien has off!” Some more swearing followed the stop of her heavy boots as she retuned to her room.

Robin couldn’t help it but burst out laughing as she clung to Al-An, she felt such giddiness and the pinks and greens that flashed over the alien showed that she wasn’t the only one. “… I love you Al-An.”

“I love you too, Robin.”

“I can’t wait to explore the stars with you.”

“It is only worth exploring now that I know you will stay with me, allowing me to see the wonders and majesty of the cosmos… and how it will never move me as much as your smile does.”

“Al-An…” He nuzzled into them and though the bond still acting in her mind they shared so much affection and care between them, and Al-An was right, it was shining brighter than the suns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two other ladies in the sub, covering their ears with their hands at the sound coming from Robin's room:  
> "Time to repress another memory."


	7. All Systems are go for lift off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escape the Planet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam @ the warpers kicking ass: You’re doing amazing sweeties!

While Robin did have a whole section of the bed to herself, tonight she still fell asleep sitting up against the headboard. Her legs dangling into the little nook where Al-An was sitting, cuddling them to her chest while they wrapped their arms around her. She was getting used to sleeping with the soft light from them vibrant around her. She came into consciousness slowly, roused by a feeling in her mind. She groaned which brought about the feeling of amusement. “I would allow you to rest more if I could, you have had a trying few days but the shields have fallen to 28.552% capacity and so with your sister waking and Marguerit having been awake for 45 minutes. if we want to explain the situation it will be best to do it now.” 

Robin groaned again but heard the coffee machine in her room turn on which at least gave some incentive to move. “Okay, Okay, I’m getting up.” She said but didn’t move from where she was.

“This implied that I would also need to move which means it is necessary you to let me go… unless the laws of physics have changed, I believe you have _in fact_ started holding me tighter.” The alien could probably easily pull her off but they instead stayed pressed against her, not letting go either. Robin did eventually he hold fall away so Al-An could move. Sh pulled on her newly fabricated wetsuit and with a few more kisses and cuddles they went their seperate ways as Al-An had the joy of requesting the presence of the Marguerit. 

Robin found her sister in the cock pit looking at Cath and another warper who seemed to have joined them. “One wasn’t enough?” She teased and handed her a coffee which she greedily took from her hands.

“I have no idea where the other one came from but look at this.” Sam said excitedly before waving at the warper “Hello, Cath.” And both warpers made a horrific noise which could have been ‘greetings’ and moved one hand up and down like a wave. 

“That is fucking terrifying.” Marguerit said, having joined with Al-An who followed in behind, Sam again, took a step back from them. seeming to still be uneasy with the giant sentient biorobotic alien. At least it wasn't out right fear.

“Curious…” Al-An lit up brighter and the warpers grew very still as if at attention. “it has transferred the reprogramming you made onto the other, they seemed to have wanted a new objectives with their original programmed mission now obsolete. It will transfer like a computer virus and it seems next time some one unwillingly comes to this planet they will receive some help... wanted or not.” 

"Oh! really?” Sam looked from them back to the warpers “You are amazing Cath, thank you and good luck out there teaching all the other Warpers. Command: release.” She let them go but the Wrapers still seemed to just want to hang around her. “I don’t think I can take them where we’re going huh?”

“No.” Al-An replied bluntly and Robin gave them a mental kick “Which _is_ unfortunate.” They then tacked on.  
  
“So… where are we going?” Sam asked and the Sub came to life beginning to travel slowly at first with the warper’s following them. 

“With you collected, we may now leave the planet. My species have left a few ships scattered over the planet, we are heading to the closest one, which will take approximately three days travel time. In which you will need to think of where you would like to go.” Al-An explain before Robin spoke up too.

“Alerra wont let us go easily so-“ she turned to Marguerit “if there is any private or outer rim planets not influence by them, we can drop you there. “ She then hesitantly turned to Sam “I… I was planning on staying with Al-An.”

“….in space?” Her sister asked in confusion.

“I will be traveling to my home planet. I do not know what has become of them. if any are left which need the cure the the Kahraa virus, I can ensure they get it, or they may have already gotten a cure they may be thriving again or… be extinct. Either way I must know. ”

“And it will be a whole planet of space fairing intelligent being so… I want to meet them.” 

Sam looked a little surprised and it even seemed she was a bit torn between what she wanted say so Robin help up her hand. “Just think on it, please. No rash decisions. "

“It should also be noted that the planetary shields will most likely fall before we reach the ship. The ship it self will need to be checked if It has sustained any damage while laying dormant. And again, like our sub, it will need to be fitted with a few more human amenities and all the other non-essentials you may need. Though, as we can park the sub within it, we will have time for those things after we make escape planet at minimum.”

“Wait, wait, back up, the shields are failing, oh yeah of fucking course it is! Why didn’t you tell us that?” Marguerit scowled. 

“I believe I just did?” Al-An replied.

Robin sighed and watched as Al-An and Marguerit continued to have a little back and forth non-argument but when she looked back at Sam she could see that she was thinking hard on this. There was a few more questions form the other two ladies but eventually they all split to do their own thing again. Not before she caught her sister looking between her and Al-An again.

Honestly she was surprised Sam waited as long as she did to ask about it but she assumed that she was just trying to get her alone. That was harder on a sub like this but currently Al-An was in the cock-pit and Marguerit was playing with Dog in the hallway while Robin took the time to try making some spicy mellon in the subs little kitchenette. Crab-cake darting back and forth between her legs as she did. 

They shared some pleasantries before they both sat down at the table, Sam only taking a few nibbled from the meal before she asked. “So, you really want to go off with some alien?”

“I wouldn’t say they are just ‘some alien’ but yes. Sam I want to be with them.” She admitted firmly. Her sister just rose an eyebrow and so with one long sip of her coffee Robin started talking. She told her how she found them, how they were literally in her head for a while, how they never really left, how she helped them gain a body and emotions, how they shared with her all about their knowledge and culture. She censored a bit of the story but told how they grew closer and more curious about one another, then how they had been protective and caring. They had many months together and while they had some ups and downs, she loved them and they loved her. 

Sam listened quietly and didn’t interrupt though a few times she looked like she wanted to. The rest of their meals and coffee was cold by the time she had finished and Robin looked towards her sister, eyes pleading for her to understand. “You are the first person to find intelligent life out in the universe and you started dating it?” Sam eventually said. 

Robin chuckled and nodded “You can’t tell me the whole _big, scary, powerful alien_ look doesn’t do anything for you?”

“No, I’m pretty sure I can, It doesn’t do anything me for, Robin!” She laughed “I -unlike you- found a lovely, smart ‘human’ woman and only got a kiss before I crashed down here to rescue you.” 

Robin’s eyes widened “Oh a kiss?” She gasped “The woman you told me about who worked above you?”

“Yes!” Sam said proudly “She’ll be on Earth in around three years so I’ll probably want to go back home by then so as long as I can do that… well, I have some time to chaperone my little sister on her dates with an alien on their home planet.” 

Robin was kind of shocked and sat dumb founded for a moment before she was rushing around the table to give her sister a tight hug. “Thank you, Sam, damn I love you so much!” 

“I love you too.” 

———————————

It was the morning of the next day, Marguerit was feeding Dog and Robin just had to take this opportunity to try and teach the snow stalker how to shake. Al-An’s voice again rang through the intercom system. “Shields critical. Failing in approximately 1 hours time.” They all looked at each other. 

“How fast do you think they’ll be able to find us? We gonna have to deal with some trouble?” The older woman asked.

“It’s a big world but this sub has a massive and unique power and technological signal, the sentinel might just need to be pointed at the right direction and they’ll be reigning down upon us.” Sam said. 

“I don’t want to resort to violence but… we can’t let them get Al-An. Who knows what they will do with them.” Robin said.

“Al-An? Who knows what they are going to do with the rest of us! We’re all criminals in their eyes, most of all you, monster lover, we’re all fucked if we’re caught!” Marguerit countered. 

Robin thought back to how she and Al-an had also collapsed the cave system which had the remnants of the virus on the frozen leviathan that they had been so keen on her giving them. “Yeah… I will admit I don’t think I’ll be considering me for the Christmas bonus this year.” 

Sam hummed in thought “I’ll look to see if I can shield our signature at all but don’t hold out too much hope.” 

“We’ll just have to deal with them as it comes… we’ve been doing pretty well so far.” Robin pointed out.

“You all promised me a way off this planet. I ain’t letting those Alterra bastards take me without a fight.” And they all believed Marguerit on that. 

Al-An’s voice returned from the speakers “I have stated before, I will use any method to ensure I can bring this cure to my people and protect you, Robin, and your kin. If that leads to violence, I will not hold back in my ability to keep us safe. Much as it concerns me to agree with Marguerit.” 

“… It does make one shudder. So don’t make a habit of it.” She called back to the ceiling.

They all crammed into the cock pit moments later, just waiting until started counting down. When it reached zero they all watched as the green squares making a patchwork of the sky started started shrinking until they faded no nothing. “Lasted longer than I had anticipated. We have less than 48 hours to the ship, we are quite the distance away and depth under the water. We may not even be found.” But with the sky no longer glowing everyone was on edge again. 

Less than 46 hours to go and Al-An shared that multiple ships had breached the planets atmosphere but other than that the day ended, the night passed and with 5 hours left Al-An started picking up on Alterra in their area. Again they found them selves grouped in the cockpit debating with each other about what they could do. “Wait I have an idea, stop the sub!” Sam cried out. 

Al-An gave a quick glance to Robin who nodded back, she trusted her sister to know what she was doing. The sub came to a stop and she waited, finger up to keep everyone quiet as she started listening. A moment, even through the walls of the ship you could hear a few muffled sounds of the Warper’s energy as they teleported in around them. They had picked up more as they made their way through the ocean so now there was way more then just the two they had started out with. 

“What ever you have in mind I recommend you do it fast. Alterra air ships are gaining on us and I believe they have sea fairing vehicles as well.” 

Sam ran and headed for the hatch to go outside. “Wait what are you doing?” Robin called out to her.

“What I am good at!” She yelled back before disappearing out of the ship.

“Oh if she thinks I am staying inside.” Robin rushed out as well, slightly apologetic at ignoring Al-An calling after her. 

She dropped into the cold dark ocean, they were very deep and there was absolutely nothing around them. Well nothing that they could see which remained more terrifying. Robin momentarily panicked when she saw her sister surrounded by the Warpers just on instinct but they were just waiting as she had she hand under the transparent chest of one. She swam closer to her sister, going between eyeing Sam’s oxygen levels and the open void around them. She had to pull her sister away once so they could both get another breath of air and then she was done and they were piling back into the sub, Al-An didn’t wait a second after conformation they were done to start driving again. The Alien glance back at the sisters “Clever.” They remarked with approval. 

Marguerit rolled her eyes “…Okay for those of use who don’t have Bluetooth in our brains what happened?”

“Alterra equipment also have a very specific energy signature… Warpers have been told that it is dangerous for them to be so deep. They’re going to warp any who come down back towards the surface.” Sam replied breathing hard from holding her breath as much as she did.  
  
The older woman smirked “Not bad, kid.”

It was only a moment later Al-An returned to his warning red and a 3D holographic map rose up in the centre of the control panel. Six red dots were sinking down from above them. They were still faster but they were leading them right to the space craft.

But then one dot stopped… then two others. It went higher again and then seemed to go down and stop at the exact same depth. 

“ _Oh Sam, Why did you go and befriend a warper!?_ ” Sam teased, mimicking Robin as they could only imagine what chaos the Warpers were doing to Alterra now. 

The rest of the time had them making all final preparations and in-between just staring at the holographic map, just waiting for one to step through the school of Warpers guarding them. The 4 hours went by like rolling molasses but left their pursuers far behind and now being lit up in front of them was an island. Precursor power cord and other blocky power batteries and other machinery went in and out of the island. They dived even lower, finding and entrance of a cave system, driving through it, it started out rocky but soon converted into a rectangular metal tunnel, slowly slighting up as they drove through it. 

Robin walked up beside Al-An and rested a hand on their back as they reached a large cavan like the island itself was hollow. Al-An stretched out and in front of them, half under water was a giant bulky space craft. It was still half the size of the commercial Alterra space craft but being right next to it dwarfed the sub by a great deal. “Can that hunk of junk still even fly?” Marguerit asked.

“We will very soon find out.” The Al-An replied which didn’t do much for the nervous humans. Al-An gave Robin the controls before they popped outside, finding a way to enter the craft. 

There was a stretch of time all seemed to be collectively holding their breath before a large bay door opened there was an exhale of easement. Robin piloted them onto the ship and beams came around the sub and it was pulled into a place to stay parked lights turned on and when the door closed the water was pumped out. Once the bay was no longer flooded the humans and their pets all climbed out of the sub and looked around. It carried the same cold, dark metal and glowing panels and lights that most Architect bases had, she guessed she would have to get used to this aesthetic over the smooth white of Alterra. She could only imagine what the home planet and their civilisation would look like. 

“This way, please.” Al-An’s voice rang though the air again and more lights blinked on, lighting a path through the ship. Sam had to grab her hand and keep her moving as she kept trying to stop and look at room and bits of technology around the ship. That was until they went passed a room with what looked like many bits of technology held within displays. Then it was Marguerit's turn to keep them on track with making their way through the ship with a lot of shoves, yelling and swears. Once they are safe the sisters were going to have a literal field day exploring the ship. 

They were brought to a transportation beam which helped and they were dropped off in front of the ships bridge. The ship it’s seemed to be moving up on an elevator from what they could see through the view screens. Al-An was …plugged into the ship. There was a panel in the back of the room they were slotted into and cords seemed to have been stuck onto their torso. The room’s colours shifted in reflection of Al-An’s own pattern. It was a little concerning to see but she assumed that was just how their technology worked.

“This ship had sustain only cosmetic damage and will be ready for outer system travel. However this craft does not cater to your simpler anatomy so take off will be… strenuous.” With a wince inducing screech some pods rose up and opened up from the floor of the bridge. “My advice will be to hold on best that you can." 

They call climbed in, the pods were large seemed to be meant for other architects to enter and be ‘plugged in’ so the humans had to just hunker down. Robin held Crab-Cake to her chest while Dog joined Marguerit sitting at her feet. 

They rose up and could see the sky again, they seemed to be held up on a platform onto the island again. For a moment all was still, they sat their surrounded by smaller Alterra air and sea ships which encircled them. They were sure that if it wasn’t for the shock of seeing the massive Alien ship they would have been fire upon but they had caught them off guard. 

Energy started building around the the ship, growing and pulsing from the thrusters and the same second the Alterra ships looked to be reacting they were all thrown back into their seats from the g-force of the Architect ship being shot off. All they could see was green. Robin squeeze at the little robot in her arms, held pinned at the back of the pod and then… the force lessened. There was a momentary weightless feeling before it evened back out. 

“We have made faster than light travel.” 

She heard a cheer from Sam and triumphant cry from Marguerit, she just had to join in with the celebrating, crying out happily along side them. They eventually slowed and when the ship stopped next she didn’t recognise what system they were near but It wasn’t the one that contained 4546B. 

“You ugly son-of-a-bitch you did it.” Marguerit, hopped out of her chair and walked back to Al-An giving them a hard punch to their shoulder which still exposed, much to the alien's confusion. Robin went and hugged her sister and Sam held her back tighter. 

“We did it, thank you… for everything Sam, you didn’t need to follow me in this but-“

“Don’t be stupid, I have to look after my little sister, who know what other trouble you were going to get yourself into if I hadn’t come along. Plus, did you see all the robots and equipment laying around, I’ll think I might just learn a few things while I’m here… for the good of humanity and all that.” 

“And all that.” Robin nodded and with another hug Robin looked towards Al-An who was stepped out of where they had been captaining this ship.“Nice work, Al-An.”

“More than just a boring name with a cool, fancy car?” Al-An asked and Robin laughed when she understood where it was from, how far the start of the escape felt now but it was all over. 

“Yeah, You’re cute too.” She replied with a wink and with a flash of pink Al-An, they leaned down and nuzzled their forehead agains her, minds connecting in a share of relief, joy and love. 

“Now after we transport Marguerit -and Dog- to their chosen system we can go and see my home and then we can deduce where to travel next.”

“You won’t want to stay?” She asked. 

Al-An looked out at the wide expanse of space before, Robin did too, it looked unfathomably eternal but it no longer felt as empty as it once did. Not for the two of them. 

“I have been held stationary one on planet for far too long. In addition, I did promise you the stars, did I not? Together… and with your sister for as long as she wishes, I will take you any where and every where touched by the light of a star. You gave me my life back and all of it in all it’s longevity belongs to you and I will spend it showing you everything. As long as you can stay with me…any maybe more when the time comes and you desire it. To find, to learn, using both human and Architect scientific methods to explore new life." And Robin couldn't think of any other proposal that could sound as beautiful and perfect a that "Do you agree to these terms?” Al-An asked gently. 

“I do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes a family can be I giant techno-organic non-binary alien, three angry survivor women with many skills, a broken robot, a big alien canine like creature and a school of hacked teleporting quarantine techno-organics, who fight against big corporations. 
> 
> Hiya Guys, thank you for reading this series and all of you who helped me and kept me going with moments. Special should out to Empathy_S_Snitch who let me yell ideas at them at all hours of the day and work them out, I love you xoxoxox
> 
> If the game ends up going some where completely different who knows, this might not be the last you see of them, bye for now. The End.

**Author's Note:**

> Robin: *taping a thermal blade to Scuttles* You are now Stabby 2.0! Continue the legacy of the robots before you!
> 
> Al-An: ...


End file.
